Just An Expert Witness?
by MissJJD
Summary: ADA Rafel Barba needs an expert witness, a profiler for a case he is prosecuting. BAU Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner takes the stand & Olivia Benson slips into court to watch... Slight AU now, and only actually one character crossed over. Written a while ago, but thought you might enjoy. NOw very much rated M
1. On The Stand

**So I came across this which I wrote a good 18 months ago so in some respects (Criminal Minds fans will know what I mean), it's a little out of date. Saying that and as it's MY fanfic, this is how I remember Criminal Minds and why I will not watch it anymore, politics aside...this idea kind of floated my boat at the time, and still does for some reason. It really might not be you cup of tea, but as they say nothing ventured...There is a second chapter, an M rated one, BUT, posting will depend on you guys as usual. I have called it a crossover, but really there is only one character who has crossed over, so to speak...**

 **My usual housekeeping and apologies apply. Tell me what you think, of course I know you will ...**...

Olivia Benson wasn't sure if she felt like a voyeur or a 15 year old playing truant.

In all the years she had worked for the NYPD, she'd never felt the need to sneak into a court room.

The case ADA Rafael Barba was prosecuting was not SVU related. She knew little about it other that it was a hefty, high profile case. In truth she spent enough time in a courtroom but today, she was here purely as a spectator.

She'd heard that Barba wanted an expert profiler on the stand: A couple of years or so ago, at the behest of Captain Cragan, she had attended an FBI seminar in DC about Serial Sex Offenders and Rapists. The afternoon session had been dedicated to profiling these types of criminals and had been headed up by the Behavioural Analysis Unit. She therefore knew for a fact profilers didn't come much better than Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner, BAU Unit Chief.

Hotchner, she recalled reading was himself a former prosecutor with the DA's office in Seattle. He maybe Barba's expert witness but she had the distinct feeling watching them go head to head in a courtroom would be so much more interesting than the mountain of paperwork that was sitting on the desk in her office. So, she decided to play hooky for a couple of hours, being Lieutenant had to come with some perks.

She had managed to slip into the courtroom unnoticed, the nature of the case unfortunately, drawing a larger than usual crowd of onlookers. Aaron Hotchner had obviously just been called to the stand as he was stating his name and giving his details for the record.

It was rarely that Olivia Benson found herself smiling quite so broadly in a courtroom, but in this instance, it was it hard not to. For once ADA Rafael Barba had some serious competition in the sartorial stakes. It was more like New York Fashion week than a courthouse. Barba covered the polished wooden floor like it was a judicial catwalk. He had buttoned his jacket as he rose to address his witness. His impeccably tailored mid-grey three piece suit was teamed with a striped shirt. A lavender blue tie with pink spots which actually complimented both to perfection, but then of course it would. The handkerchief that adorned his breast pocket matched the spots. She couldn't help but wonder which item the suspenders he nearly always wore favoured.

Aaron Hotchner sat composed and professional in the witness box, looking like he was about to be photographed for the cover of Esquire. His wardrobe was a tad more conservative than his legal counterpart but immaculate none the less. His equally sharp suit was also grey but a much darker shade. Worn with a pristine white shirt and a simple burgundy tie. As a detective Olivia Benson was trained to notice details, she wasn't sure if any of the details she had noticed so far would be relevant to anything. Unless someone reported a robbery at Saks maybe.

Barba rested his hand on the edge of the witness box as he addressed the FBI agent. Keenly scanning the jury as his questions were answered in meticulous, unwavering detail.

"Thank you agent Hotchner" He afforded the older man a brief smile. Barba's expressive green eyes clashing momentarily with the dark intimidating stare of Aaron Hotchner.

A sudden warmth pooled low in Olivia Benson's stomach at the unbridled thought of these two men together. She felt her face flush. A flush that turned to blistering heat as glancing across the courtroom she found herself looking directly into the somewhat surprised face of ADA Rafael Barba.

"Lieutenant Benson, I was surprised to see you in court this afternoon" Came Barba's familiar and somewhat formal tones from behind, catching her off guard.

Dammit the judge must have called recess for the day immediately after she left the courtroom. Her face still hot and her mouth inexplicably dry. Olivia had stopped to get a drink from the water cooler.

"Counsellor" Fixing a smile, and returning his professional address, she turned to face him.

Him and it would appear FBI agent Aaron Hotchner.

"Liv are you ok?" His concern was genuine as he extended his hand to rest gently on her arm.

"You look a little flushed"

"I'm fine; it was just a little warm in there, with so many people." She took a sip of the water, her mouth now parched.

The thought she'd had in the courtroom now doing cartwheels in her head as the two men stood elegantly side by side. She swore blind if she touched one of them she would get an electric shock, so potent was the electricity. She tried to drag her attention back to the serious business that had been going on. Barba offered no introductions so she addressed his previous statement.

"To be honest I was curious." Taking a steadying breathe she gestured towards Aaron Hotchner with the plastic cup.

"I attended a seminar in DC a while back. Agent Hotchner and his team did the session on profiling Serial Sex Offenders and Rapists"

It wasn't often Olivia Benson was caught on the back foot, she prayed for someone to help her out. She hadn't envisaged being seen and interrogated on her reasons for being here. A phone rang. "Oh thank god" she thought "saved by the bell."

Aaron Hotchner reached into his pocket. "Excuse me I need to take this." He walked away from them, along the marbled corridor.

"So, come on Liv, tell me the truth." Barba's voice interrupted her rather lustful study of the tall FBI agent's elegant gait.

"What brought you to court this afternoon?"

Damn the man he knew her too well, perhaps he should have been the profiler. There would be little point in lying to him, so she came clean.

"Well I **was** curious, and I **did** attend the seminar. I remembered SSA Hotchner and thought watching you to going at it on the stand." She stopped abruptly at her choice of words and his raised eyebrows. "I meant verbally" She hissed at him.

"Well of course you did" He smiled, almost smirked at her.

"Or maybe precisely that thought was what caused the hot flush" His green eyes twinkled mischievously.

Olivia had to smile; Barba really had gotten far too good at reading her. He was like a tenacious terrier once he got hold of something, he just didn't let go. But it was strange she never felt the need to lie to him or hide anything from him. It was actually nice to be able to be so frank and open with someone. It worked both ways. Although sometimes she did find him a little difficult to read.

Maybe it was the recent conversation they'd had about his bisexuality that had fanned the flames this afternoon. She'd admitted to him quite freely at the time that she found bisexuality in a man a turn on. He'd countered as only a prosecutor could by suggesting she may not feel that way if her boyfriend came home and told her he'd slept with another man. He had taken her hesitation as proof that he was right.

She could still see the look on his face; hear him choking on his scotch when she'd elaborated.

"I am trying to put this shall we say _delicately,_ so, I don't actually come off sounding like the kind of sexual deviant that we would normally put away." She could still see that beautiful, all too rare smile of his as she continued to speak.

"Oh, what the hell! Yes, I would be totally devastated, because he felt the need to do it behind my back, if you get my drift"

She could see by the somewhat bemused look on his face that clearly he didn't get her drift at all. Either that or he just wanted to hear her say it out loud.

"Oh come on Barba, two guys together is so hot"

Barba had ordered himself another scotch: Having spat most of the last one over the counter, before pursuing the conversation further. Admitting, he was intrigued, practically cross examining her. She remembered saying jokingly to him at one point. "Objection Counsellor" to which of course he'd replied "overruled."

Olivia refused to admit to anything, keeping her face as inscrutable as possible. she knew next to nothing about the enigmatic FBI profiler, it was just her unusually naughty mind. But whether they knew it or not they had some seriously hot chemistry.

"Barba, I don't think I like you anymore" She scrunching the plastic cup between her fingers and discarding it in the bin.

"Rafael, you haven't been upsetting one of New York's, finest have you?"

Aaron Hotchner returned smiling as he tucked his cell phone back into his breast pocket.

"ME? Aaron!" Barba feigned shock, his hand coming rather, over dramatically to his chest.

Having just about got her thoughts back in check, Olivia's brain was now dealing with the Rafael, Aaron exchange and the easy banter that passed between the two men. Olivia was no profiler, but she been a detective long enough to know, Aaron Hotchner was obviously not just Rafael Barba's expert witness. Curiouser and curiouser thought Alice or in this case Olivia.

"It was nice to see you again Agent Hotchner. Counsellor"

She offered the FBI agent a pleasant smile and Barba a look, making her bid to get away. Desperate as she was to find out more, Olivia felt she should leave them to it, whatever IT was.

"Why don't you join us for dinner? If you don't have any plans" Barba suggested those piercing green eyes of his all but daring her to say no.

She glared even harder at him for putting her on the spot like this. "I err"

"Please Lieutenant, your company would be much appreciated. I think you could save me from an evening of heated debate and shop talk".

Aaron Hotchner was actually very amiable, and quite disarming. The hard penetrating, and resolute stare had vanished, replaced by pools of tempting warm chocolate. His broad smile revealing a set of beguiling, almost boyish dimples.

"Oh I am sure our esteemed ADA wouldn't do that to you Agent Hotchner."

She flashed a fiery brown stare of her own at Barba, before returning to Aaron Hotchner with a charming smile of her own.

"Thank you, I would be delighted and please it's Olivia"

"Aaron." He responded, his own warm smile, flashing those dimples once more.

Barba's expressive green eyes danced in devilment, a broad grin etched on his all too attractive face. Olivia had a feeling she was going to have a major hangover tomorrow, amongst other things.


	2. Let Your Fantasies Unwind

**An odd little foray for me, especially in light of everything. But it was fun to pick it up after all this time. I hope one or two of you our there will enjoy it. Usual apologies for faux pas, in whatever guise...**

The Chinese restaurant had been picked by the visiting FBI agent. He'd apparently been there a couple of times before with his team.

"It's a bit off the usual track." He recounted easily over dinner.

"One of those wonderful little places you had to know was there."

Liv vaguely recalled seeing it before, but had never actually eaten there, discovering both the food and the service were excellent, she would definitely come back again. The dimly lit restaurant had a lovely ambience and despite being busy they could still chat comfortably to each other, without having to shout, a perfectly placed table aided with that too.

The veteran SVU detective could hold her own in the drinking stakes, she'd had enough practice over the years, but as she washed her hands in the ladies' room she had to admit to feeling just a little light headed, looking in the mirror and running her hands through her long dark hair, she wasn't entirely sure that was just down to the alcohol.

The wine Aaron Hotchner had ordered to accompany dinner was lovely, and as it turned out rather free flowing. As she had left the two men at the table, the second bottle was already empty and amidst their lively and animated conversation they were trying to attract the attention of the waiter to order a third.

Returning from the ladies' room she saw the two men still closely embroiled in conversation, just as they had all been all evening, she smiled, it had actually been a very enjoyable evening. It however appeared they were much more closely _embroiled_ than when she had left. Nearing the table, Olivia noticed Barba's hand resting on Aaron Hotchner's thigh. She watched surreptitiously for a few moments, that fierce ball of heat from earlier, once again pooling low in her belly, arousing her curiosity and much more besides.

Two extremely attractive, impeccably dressed, utterly professional men, and that was exactly how they had been all evening. There hadn't been the merest hint of anything else, save their obvious friendship and deep respect for each other, but now Olivia could almost feel the heat they radiated from where she stood.

She let out a small involuntary gasp as Aaron Hotchner's hand came to briefly cover Barba's, a gesture that would go unseen or unnoticed by most, but her trained eyes didn't miss it, nor did they miss the visual exchange that passed between them, chocolate brown meeting limpid green as they looked directly at each other, some private understanding flowing between the two. The animated conversation had stopped, Barba was smiling warmly and Aaron Hotchner was nodding, presumably in agreement to something they were discussing.

Her brain, amongst other parts of her body, was already envisaging them in a much more intimate scenario, a scene which started with the discarding of ties. This was definitely her cue to leave.

An array of things had arrived at the table in her absence, all it would appear at once. That elusive third bottle of wine had been partially decanted into three glasses. Orange slices sat invitingly on a brightly decorated oval plate, alongside three coffees and small bowl of fortune cookies. The two men smiled and rose briefly as she sat back down, just as the waiter arrived with steaming hot hand towels. Olivia took a hefty mouthful of the newly poured wine, once more fighting with her own equilibrium as she viewed the two men over the rim of her glass. Someone had obviously asked for fresh glasses, she noted. Aaron Hotchner no doubt, she'd drunk often enough with Barba to know, fastidious as he could be about some things, he wasn't prone to requesting a clean glass for his drink.

She would just have this last glass, as it had been poured for her, before making her excuses and leaving. Barba's cunning little plan to do whatever, unsettle her, shock her maybe, surely, he knew her better than that, had clearly misfired. Discarding the delicious hot, lemon scented towel Olivia reached for a fortune cookie, when in Rome, she mused silently. Snapping the sweet biscuit in half she pulled out the shred of paper inside. Two sets of eyes now watched her keenly.

"The object of your desire comes ever closer." She read aloud, looking sceptically from the Assistant District Attorney to the FBI agent. Her big brown eyes sparkling at them both in turn.

"Hmm, that would be the coffee then" She suggested without missing a beat.

Aaron Hotchner laughed as he broke his own cookie in two. There were those rather sexy, boyish dimples again.

"You will have a pleasant surprise." He too read the vague prophecy out loud, his line of sight falling on the younger man, but turning towards Olivia as he spoke.

"Aha Rafael is going to get the check." He followed Olivia's lead with a quip about the so called words of wisdom offered by the crunchy confectionery.

"Do not hold your breath my friend." Barba retorted, pretending to be unamused as he reached for his own cookie.

"Let your fantasies unwind." He read slowly from the strip of white paper he pulled from the crispy hollow biscuit.

He too not missing a beat and following up with a quick remark: "I think this might have been yours Liv." His green eyes shone mischievously, his questioning gaze fixed firmly on her.

Perhaps she had spoken too soon, or at least thought, too soon. Olivia felt the warmth rise from the tips of her toes, slowly up through her body to the very top of her head. She knew exactly what Barba was alluding to and got the distinct impression that the profiler did too. But just what did Barba have in mind? She was given a few moments to think, to breathe and too cool down once more, as the two men fought over the recently presented check.

They'd all had a fair bit to drink, Barba was of course, just teasing her, baiting her with his words, wasn't he?

"Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams. Hear it feel it. Open up your mind let your fantasies unwind."

Barba sang the hushed oddly familiar lyrics in her ear, his warm breath fanning her cheek as he helped her on with her coat, wrapping it around her in an unexpected embrace.

An involuntary shiver ran through her, anticipation, excitement, apprehension Olivia really wasn't sure which. This was certainly turning out to be a day full of surprises. Turning to face him she wasn't sure if she was more stunned by the words or their musical delivery. Her sultry brown eyes collided with his intense green, there was absolutely no room for misinterpretation, she didn't need to be a profiler to read Rafael Barba, he was deadly serious. Aaron Hotchner stood discreetly at a distance, out of earshot, pulling on a scarlet lined Crombie coat.

Not for one second did her eyes leave the ADA's; in the briefest of movements she nodded her head in acquiescence. Neither said a word, Barba took a step back, a devilish smile curling his sensual mouth, his green eyes positively glittering, as he opened the door to the restaurant, once on the sidewalk, he hailed a cab.

The journey to the elegant hotel Aaron Hotchner was staying at located on Crosby Street. Courtesy of the New York DA's office no doubt; took only a few minutes and was made in virtual silence. The suite on the 11th floor was very beautifully and tastefully decorated in black, white and varying shades of grey, rather appropriate thought Olivia.

Not knowing what happened next, and feeling uncharacteristically out of her depth, she stood by the warehouse style floor to ceiling window in the lounge. It offered a spectacular view of Lower Manhattan and she took in every glittering light.

She felt someone gently touch her arm. From the unfamiliar cologne and imposing height, she knew instinctively it was Aaron Hotchner. His dimples flashed once more as he smiled briefly, handing her a drink, presumably from the mini bar. Not that she was drunk, her light headedness had vanished very quickly, but Olivia wasn't sure she wanted or needed any more alcohol, the heavy tumbler however, gave her something to do with her rather nervous hands.

"Perhaps," she spoke quietly, glancing around the spacious room trying to focus on something other than him.

The spectacular wooden fireplace, the large circular mirror above it, or the centrally placed Ottoman with its abstract splashes of red, that provided the only bright colour in the room.

Her eyes were inextricably drawn to the handsome FBI profiler's penetrating and unreadable dark brown gaze. It was so different from the open translucency of the ADA's beautiful green.

His finger tip came to rest softly against her slightly parted lips, she barely felt its touch. He was close, but he did not encroach on her personal space. His presence overwhelming but not threatening in any way. It was an utterly surreal situation, one in which Olivia Benson had never found herself before. A bubble of excitement burst in her stomach, making her heart beat faster, and she felt that now all too familiar heat pooling lower and much hotter. That same subtle, but unfamiliar cologne, filled her nostrils.

"Relax. Enjoy." His voice was low and reassuring, his tone warm and incredibly sexy.

She found it as hypnotic as his gaze and as calming as his scent.

It stood to reason, he knew what she was thinking, what she about to say. He was a profiler, one of the best there was at that. Her body language and tone of voice gave her away, as did the fact that despite her own arousal, her excitement, and her curiosity, she probably looked like she was about to take flight.

For the second time today, she all but lustfully watched him walk away, that elegant, fluid and ridiculously erotic movement. She wasn't attracted to him, not in the usual sense, but there was something about Aaron Hotchner, perhaps it was simply his relationship with Barba.

She knew these two men had chemistry, she had picked up on it immediately, she'd seen it sizzling mercilessly throughout the day. Elegantly and professionally standing side by side at the courthouse, they had generated electricity. Their brief yet incredibly intimate touches in the crowded restaurant had generated heat. But watching the two men kiss generated more heat and more electricity than a volcanic eruption, the invisible sparks searing her skin, the spectacle drawing her in, transfixing her.

Olivia's fingers tightened around the glass Aaron Hotchner had handed to her, its contents remaining untouched. His scent still tickled her nostrils, she could still feel that faintest of touches against her lips, and she could still hear his low reassuring tone. Olivia shifted awkwardly, her own body hot and alive with sensation, a cube of ice chinked against another in the tumbler, as they too began to cave under the intense heat that filled the room. Olivia found herself holding her breath as the kiss deepened, releasing it a little raggedly as it became more intense, more demanding and hands began to wander.


	3. Voyeur of Participant?

**Thanks to those who have read and reviewed my little folly/indulgence. Probably only another couple of chapters after this one, but its out of my system now.**

Olivia Benson had worked sex crimes for a very long time, seeing every day, and first-hand, what one person was capable of doing to another, both mentally and physically. She had, on more than one occasion been on the receiving end herself. These things had at times kept what she did in her private life, one might say a little vanilla. But she never judged anyone, as long as it was consensual, and between adults. Everyone had their weaknesses, everyone had their particular kinks, and everyone had their fantasies. She was a beautiful, sensual woman, of course she had hers, but never in a million years had Olivia Benson envisaged that Rafael Barba would be part of hers, or in quite such a way.

Her own body tingled with excitement, anticipation coursing through her veins. Heat travelling everywhere with the speed of a bushfire, arousal surging in her blood. It wasn't as if it was the first time she had seen two men kiss, or even quite so passionately. But whatever she told herself, this was _very different_ to anything she had witnessed before,Rafael Barba was the Assistant District Attorney, he was a colleague. She should put those facts out of her head. She should, but actually it was making an already hot and very erotic situation so much hotter and decidedly more erotic.

Rafael Barba was also her friend, a very good and very close friend whom she had to admit, she found incredibly attractive, and also on whom she'd harboured a massive crush for some considerable time. She enjoyed verbally sparring with him, both personally and professionally. He always made her feel exceptionally feminine and she loved to flirt with him, getting a ridiculously girlish thrill out of his innocuous touches, her heart beating a little faster when he walked into a room. In her own mind only, perhaps in those fantasies, she secretly enjoyed the fact that maybe they could be more than friends, but after David Haden, that hadn't been a road she wanted to go down again. So, she and Barba were, as the cliché went, just good friends. She hoped that wasn't about to change, well not entirely anyway.

Olivia took a slight step backwards almost feeling the need to hide behind the heavy drapes hanging at the huge window which framed the New York skyline. She had felt like a voyeur earlier in the day, sneaking into the courtroom, this time she was here by invitation, but her earlier feelings paled in comparison to how Olivia felt now.

The two men seemed totally oblivious to her being there, but then, why wouldn't they?

Despite her presence, their intimate contact was not tasteless, they were not "playing to their audience" or grandstanding in any way. They were most likely enjoying the fact that she was there, just as much as she was enjoying watching, they wouldn't have invited her otherwise, but there was nothing showy or even vulgar about it, they simply reacted to each other.

As Rafael Barba's expensive, well-tailored jacket was gently pushed off his shoulders and dropped onto the back of a nearby chair, she couldn't help but wonder how on earth this situation had ever come about, not her being here that was, but just how Rafael Barba and Aaron Hotchner had found themselves in this position. She bit her lip at her choice of words.

She was certain she had read somewhere, a bio at the seminar, or perhaps someone had mentioned it, Aaron Hotchner was married, had kids. But then married men with kids had affairs with other women and with other men too, she didn't need all her years in SVU to tell her that. However, from the little she had seen and knew about the expert profiler, he was not the kind of man you propositioned; male or female. He was every bit the Alpha male the FBI were so fond pigeon holing. Nor of course was SSA Aaron Hotchner an easy man read, not in any sense.

Until now that was, she had read more in his facial expressions and his body language in the last half an hour or so, than she had all evening. The intense situation and increased intimacy with Barba stripping away more than just layers of expensive tailoring and well-cut cloth.

As for her friend, the subject of Barba's sexuality had come about following the Jeremy Jones case. A couple of scotches, a red wine or two and Olivia had felt brave enough to push the then, new ADA on his personal feelings surrounding the case. His openness with her, along with the alcohol gave her the courage to share her feelings with him. As she had recalled only a few hours earlier, his somewhat surprised reaction still made her chuckle. It had also prompted, and given way to a far more serious conversation, laying the foundations for the strong bond of trust and profound friendship they now shared.

She knew Rafael Barba had chutzpah, bucket loads of it, and he was a man rarely at a loss for words, but that was professionally, when it came to his private life and his sexuality, he was a lot more reserved, oh yes, Olivia Benson was definitely intrigued.

They of course made the most likely of friends, their paths maybe crossing workwise, it was easy to see how that friendship would have developed. It was strange that, that particular conversation hadn't come up over dinner, Olivia's curiosity intensified at the mere fact it hadn't. The two men were nevertheless unlikely lovers, but then, for her at least, the man she had seen in DC made an unlikely lover period. Perhaps it amounted to the simple fact, she really didn't know Aaron Hotchner or anything about him, that she found it such a difficult thing to imagine. Her imagination was however now being given free reign, in fact it knew no bounds. That man she knew so little about, that somewhat unapproachable, austere and unlikely lover, was a long way removed from the tender, yet assertive, and quite perfect lover who had ADA Rafael Barba flush against the wall of a New York hotel room.

Olivia released the breath she'd been holding, it came out in a long throaty moan, but seemingly went unheard by the two men. The first of those ties she had erotically pictured earlier came off, the knot slipped with practised ease by a man who knew precisely how. As the top button of the Barba's shirt was undone, the strand of pink spotted, lavender blue silk was pulled slowly and deliberately from beneath the collar. The ADA's rather conservatively coloured suspenders slipped from his shoulders, leaving them to hang about his lower body.

Rafael Barba had undoubtedly been hiding his light under a bushel, or under his extensive and colourful wardrobe. Whilst his flawless skin was not as tanned as she would have anticipated for a man of his descent, for someone who spent so much time at a desk or in a courtroom he was much fitter than she had imagined, and Olivia Benson had imaged that surprisingly well toned body, on many occasions.

The strong nimble fingers on Aaron Hotchner's left, and undoubtedly dominant hand, deftly unfastened the remaining buttons, tugging it free from his pants. It was discarded along with the other items, allowing him to map out the muscled planes of Barba's chest. To trace them unhurriedly through the enticing covering of dark hair, and to tease the small, flat male nipples, until they tightened visibly to his caress. In an almost irrepressible response Rafael Barba, arched into his partner's gentle enticing touch, pressing his hips hard against his lover, and eliciting the first sound from the other man, since he had told Olivia to "relax and enjoy." It was an exceedingly carnal sound, a guttural groan, which protracted into a slow ecstatic moan as the ADA's hips began to move slowly and sensually against his groin.

Olivia's breathing became more shallow and uneven, leaving her almost panting. Her grasp on the heavy glass tumbler was so tight, she feared it might shatter. That fire was still raging through her body, it burnt hot and wet between her legs, and she shifted against it. Watching Aaron Hotchner's accomplished hands move over Barba made her own nipples harden and peak against the frustratingly soft material of her clothing. The need to touch herself or be touched almost unbearable, it's strength only superseded by the equally overpowering desire to reach out and touch _someone_. Her knuckles whitened against the tumbler stopping her from doing any of those things, thank God Aaron Hotchner had given her scotch, not wine.

Their movements remained languid, one seeking only to please and pleasure the other. Olivia watched mesmerically as Barba returned the favour. Aaron Hotchner's jacket slipping with equal ease from his broad shoulders and joining the mounting pile of irrelevant clothing. His dark burgundy tie, the next casualty, sliding like a tongue around his neck, Barba simply allowing it fall to the floor. A second crisp white shirt was nimbly unbuttoned, pulled from pants and discarded, revealing an even more well-toned upper body, but one which was far from flawless.

One, two three, four, from where she was standing, Olivia counted six scars on the FBI Agent's body, there could be more but she couldn't see. They were old and somewhat diminished, but they were still plainly visible, even aged and fading, she knew they would have once been excruciatingly painful, she couldn't help but wonder if they'd been inflicted simultaneously, surely not, no one could have survived that kind of attack. The raised white marks on Aaron Hotchner's slim, but beautifully muscled body, added to the enigma of the man. Olivia made a mental note to do some research on the Behavioural Analysis Unit Chief.

She noticed Barba delicately run his long artistic fingers against a couple of the larger, more pronounced marks. The two men's eyes meeting once more, a knowing exchange flickering between them. Olivia wondered if this had something to do with how they had gotten to this point.

The largest of the puckered, fading scars, that she could see, was at least six, maybe seven inches long, it ran down the centre of Aaron Hotchner's chest. Barba traced the top almost reverently, his expressive green eyes not leaving the other man's fixed brown for a moment, his finger moving along the elevated skin, which stopped just above his navel. Suddenly the younger man's head dipped, his mouth moving gently against the diminishing wound, his tongue following in the wake of his fingers. Those fingers now occupied elsewhere.

She watched Barba release the fastening beneath his fingers, his hand palming the other through the immaculately pressed material, clearly outlining a very large and potent erection. His fingers moved to the zipper, his mouth back to Aaron Hotchner's.

Their tongues duelled, but not for supremacy, no this was purely for pleasure, moaning softly as they moved into and against each other.

Olivia couldn't withhold the very audible moan that escaped her own lips as the two men kissed again. Semi naked, what remained of their elegant clothing making the scene even more erotic. The sound coupled with her increasingly ragged breathing must have been louder than she'd thought. The two men breaking slowly apart, they smiled, and Olivia found herself under the languorous scrutiny of Aaron Hotchner's imposing brown stare and Rafael Barba's questioning green gaze. She kept her own eyes firmly upon their faces, their hard, aroused bodies, even partially clothed were too distracting for words.

She licked her lips, and swallowed hard. Her own warm chocolate brown gaze clashing with that of Aaron Hotchner. His voice was even lower than before, and a lot more seductive, or was that just where her mind and her body had taken her?

"Do you want to join us Olivia, or are you happy to just watch?"

She was uncertain if it was apprehension or excitement that careered around her body, perhaps a lethal combination of both, she mused, trading unyielding brown for limpid green.

Just what did she want?


	4. The Music of the Night

**For those of your reading this little folly, I hope you are enjoying it. I could have written it as one long story but this was more fun, well for me anyway.**

 **Thanks for your comments, and as always apologies for any errors.**

 **The content is about to become very mature so adult only readers please...**

Olivia's chocolate brown gaze drifted slowly between the two men, relinquishing her safe place amidst the heavy drapes, she took a step towards them. She did want to be more than simply a voyeur, but she wasn't sure just _how_ much more.

"Both." Her voice waivered slightly in the hushed room.

She wasn't naïve, not by any stretch of anyone's imagination, but how this went from here, she had absolutely no idea. She somehow assumed thatAaron Hotchner would take control; ironically it was Barba who took the lead.

For the second time today, his unexpected embrace caught her totally off guard, this one a lot more intimate. His half naked, incredibly aroused body pressing lightly against hers, his gentle and tentative mouth bushing her surprised lips with his. There was no second thought on Olivia's part, like any first kiss, everything went from here, like any _normal_ sexual encounter, she was in control of what happened to her. She tried not to dwell on the _normal_ , in her world, people had some very different interpretations of the word, but then there really was nothing normal, perhaps ordinary was a better description, about this.

Olivia suddenly got the strangest feeling that she was actually the dominant here, the person very much in control of what happened next. That was something she didn't have a problem with, and felt emboldened by the thought. Her arms snaked around Barba's bare neck, she returned and deepened his kiss. Whatever this fantasy was, wherever she allowed it to go, she was going to enjoy it and she wanted him to be under no illusions about that.

His mouth was so beautifully sensual, his lips soft and enticing, she traced the seam with her tongue. Finding her confidence growing as unadulterated pleasure took over, she pushed them apart, her tongue darting into the moist cavern beyond to seek his own, finding it and caressing it. A low groan of desire vibrated against her mouth. In her pleasure soaked brain, she recalled the similar sound which had emanated from the FBI agent, before she had interrupted...

Oliva pulled back from Barba's embrace, seeing a worried, questioning look in those familiar green eyes. She smiled, a look that fell somewhere between reassurance and naughtiness flittered across her flushed face.

"I'm sorry" She said softly, her hand coming to rest haltingly against his chest, it's glorious feel, momentarily distracting her. She felt a tiny frisson of tension in his body, moving her fingers playfully amidst that soft covering of dark hair.

"Please, don't let me _interrupt."_

Her glance drifted to Aaron Hotchner, she might be able to taunt her friend, but ever the profiler, she knew the sharp FBI agent saw right through her. Whether it was that profiler or simply a very astute man, maybe a little of both, he also knew exactly what she wanted.

Olivia's hand was still resting on the ADA's chest as the other man moved back towards him, his bare arm brushing lightly against her, she felt the oddest sense of deprivation at not feeling his skin connect with hers.

"May I?"

Olivia was not sure about profiling, she began to think that this man could actually read her mind. Aaron Hotchner's voice was again steeped in that velvety, low and incredibly sexy timbre as he chivalrously offered to remove her jacket. Nodding her consent, he moved lithely behind her and slid it from her shoulders.

"Yes?" He queried quietly, as his thumb and forefinger toyed with the lapel on her blouse.

Again, Olivia nodded, not actually trusting herself to speak, not entirely sure she was capable of doing so. Watching intently as yet more tiny buttons fell prey to those long, dextrous fingers. Methodically he slipped them from their fastenings, but not once did he touch her, not even inadvertently. The only thing Olivia felt against her skin was the silky material as it slithered from her body and the dark heated gaze of the tall agent as it drifted unhurriedly across her upper body.

The remainder of her outer clothing was removed with the self-same precise, diligence. His fingers only touching her skin for the briefest of moments as he removed her socks. Standing in just her underwear, Olivia again felt his blistering gaze flicker over the rest of her body, his eyes leaving her feeling as if he had touched her intimately, she wondered if his touch would be anti-climax. From the low groan of pleasure which dropped from Rafael Barba's lips as Aaron Hotchner's hands once more connected with his flesh, she very much doubted it.

Olivia buried herself amidst more of the hotel's expensive soft furnishings. This time surrounded by an array of patterned cushions and varying sized pillows as she made herself comfortable on the king size bed. For the moment anyway, she was happy just to watch.

Barba's fingers resumed what he had been doing before he had been _interrupted,_ carefullylowering the zipper on the other man's pants, the gentle whirring noise, save their breathing, the only sound in the room. Just as Aaron Hotchner had done for Olivia, Barba slipped off his shoes and socks. Allowing him to step easily from those immaculately pressed pants which had slid down his long, muscled legs, before kicking them to one side. The black boxers did even less to conceal Aaron Hotchner's proud arousal than his suit pants had. She didn't need Barba's hand to define its size or it potency. As they too fell to the floor, his cock sprang forth rigid and eager.

Olivia chewed on her bottom lip, this time she bit back the groan which was bubbling on her lips.

Gloriously naked and beautifully aroused, the FBI agent sought to divest his lover of his own clothing.

Olivia chewed harder on her bottom lip, holding her breath in anticipation.

Aaron Hotchner mirrored Barba's actions, and just as he'd done for her, slowly and methodically removed the remainder of his clothing, all of it, until finally another far more colourful pair of boxers fell to the floor.

Olivia's heart pounded excitedly in her chest, her breath catching in her throat.

"Such a beautiful cock" The ADA murmured almost inaudibly as his hand drifted worshipfully over the other man.

"Which one" Olivia pondered silently from the sanctuary of her cushions and pillows. "They both are."

Her eyes once again travelling between the two gorgeous, gloriously naked men and incredibly aroused men. She couldn't withhold the feline like smile which lifted her lips. The FBI, BAU Unit Chief and the Assistant District Attorney for Manhattan SVU, who would have thought? Lt Olivia Benson avidly looking on, who really would have thought!

The FBI agent all but growled as the ADA curled his long artistic fingers around his rigid length, stroking it gently but firmly as he sank gracefully to his knees. Replacing those long fingers with an equally skilled mouth.

She squeezed her legs together, trying to gain some relief from the mounting desire that she felt. Her own fingers moving to the edge of her panties, toying with the delicate, damp lace, before dipping inside.

Aaron Hotchner groaned again, louder this time, his usually unreadable face, cloaked in a mask of agonised pleasure.

Olivia thought she was dreaming, again… another of those sexy imaginings about her friend which left her hot, aroused and incredibly frustrated when her alarm went off. She didn't want to satisfy herself, not this time but nor did she want to move. Unable to drag her eyes away from the wonderfully erotic scene unfolding before her, her tingling body wanted to do nothing other than simply watch and enjoy.

She could feel every sensual lick of Barba's clearly quite skilled tongue, every delicate stroke of his equally adept fingers as they caressed his partner. Her own tongue licking her lips and flicking against the roof of her mouth as she emulated his actions, her body all but aching as she watched him with fixed intensity, dragging his lips slowly along the swollen shaft, curling his fingers around his balls. His tongue snaking out to lap at the wet shiny tip.

The older man's head fell backwards, and he closed his eyes, savouring the visibly intense pleasure, and allowing it to engulf him completely.

Olivia squirmed on the bed, brushing her palm against one of her agonisingly hard nipples, sensation flooding her body, rushing to every nerve ending with frightening ferocity. What was it Barba had sung in her ear as they had been about to leave the restaurant?

"Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams, hear it, feel it."

He might have adlibbed the lyric of the famous song just a little bit, but Olivia could clearly hear some of the other words filtering into her mind.

"Touch me, trust me, savour each sensation."

The words continued to soar in her head, in Barba's lyrical tone, almost feeling his warm breath fanning her skin, just as it had done earlier.

"Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind." Just as that silly fortune cookie had predicted.

"Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in."

Oliva wasn't aware that she was so familiar with the words of this Broadway favourite, obviously her subconscious was, and it seemed very appropriate music for this particular night. She scooted forward, the apt words still resonating around in her head. Her senses had certainly abandoned their defences, her soul taking her where she longed to be.


	5. How Much More?

**Thanks for indulging me in this odd little crossover tail. I hope those of you that have read it, enjoyed it. Thanks for those who have reviewed, they are always welcomed. I know it's quite possibly a "little" OOC for one an all, but hey that's the beauty and idea of fanfiction. This is a VERY adult chapter you have been warned. There will be one more concluding chapter. Thanks again for reading.**

Her remaining two items of clothing had been discarded by the time she reached the end of the bed and knelt behind Rafael Barba. Her nipples hard and peaked against the taut planes of his back. Her wet feminine heat against the firm, swell of his arse, her arms encircling his lower body, warm delicate hands, softly stroking his _shamefully_ neglected erection. She pressed against him, pushing him into her hands, feeling his hot silky flesh properly for the first time, he felt so good. Swelling to her touch as Olivia brushed her lips to his shoulder, her teeth unable to resist nipping at his bare skin, he responded by thrusting harder into her hand, his rigid shaft throbbing against the palm.

Aaron Hotchner withdrew slowly from Barba's mouth, his left hand curling lightly around his glistening cock as he watched the couple on the floor. Through her lashes she noticed, his gaze drift to where her fingers were wrapped around Barba, his fingers seeming to move in unison with hers as he stroked himself.

Oliva felt Barba's weight shift back against her, everything abrading against her already sensitised body. Her ample breasts crushed blissfully hard against the blades of his shoulders, her pulsing sex, open against his arse. Her grip on him tightened, Aaron Hotchner's grip on himself tightened too.

She could feel every ridge and vein of the ADA's pulsing length between her fingers, but it was the man who stood imposingly before her, whom she watched intently. Savouring the two sensations, what she could feel in her hands, what she could see before with her eyes.

 _Blindly_ she continued to stroke and caress her friend, his cock thick and heavy in her hand, wondering if his eyes were closed in pleasure or if he too was relishing the sight before him.

Aaron Hotchner grasped his full erection more resolutely. His fingers continuing to glide up and down the hard smooth flesh, moisture beaded at the tip, his thumb coming to spread the dewy droplet over the head. He sucked in sharply at his own touch, allowing his breath to escape in a gentle hiss, his hand moving slowly from base to tip and back again, and again.

She found her own hand replicating his actions on Barba, hearing him too moan softly against her. Olivia was utterly enthralled and aroused beyond belief, everything about the tall agent looked so good, so hot and so bloody sexy, she gently rubbed herself against the ADA, everything about him felt so good, so hot and so bloody sexy.

Two sets of fingers moved over two incredibly hard and very beautiful cocks, Olivia's wet heat tingling against Barba's arse. She tried to stifle a moan, it escaped her lips but was absorbed by the guttural noises which emanated from the two men in the room.

Olivia's brown eyes met Aaron Hotchner's holding his gaze momentarily. As it moved slowly and appraisingly back down over his chest, she didn't see the scars which marred his skin, just its joyful, ragged fall and rise, as uninhibited desire coursed through him. Returning to the source of their combined pleasure, she watched that clear shameless pleasure seep onto his fingers, he used it to coat his rigid skin with slow exaggerated strokes. Her forefinger toyed sensually with the small join of skin at her own fingertips, her thumb skimming the tip of Barba's cock, spreading his own weeping essence deftly along its length to the base. Her palm glided easily back up again, his cock now soaked in his own arousal as it leaked constantly with expectation.

Aaron Hotchner's eyes were now intently fixed on Barba's groin, and her fluid movements, even from here she could see they burned brightly with need. Her free hand had been sensually stroking his strong thigh, it dipped between his legs, fondling the smooth taut sacks, Barba moaned, thrusting harshly into her hand. The movement causing his backside to rub hard against her own throbbing body, she bit down into his shoulder, sparking a chain reaction of carnal delights.

She felt the ADA's weight shift from her, moving back towards the standing man, instinctively she went with him, just as Aaron Hotchner had known what she wanted, Olivia Benson knew what Rafael Barba wanted.

As he took the older man back in his mouth, Olivia felt him surge against her fingers, a fresh coating of moisture lubricating her hand, it was beyond erotic. Her mouth moved against his shoulder, nipping and licking the spot where it joined his neck, the other man's body mere inches from her too, her mind wandering at the endless possibilities, but all the while conscious of the fact that save, the most fleeting and smallest of touches Aaron Hotchner had not laid a finger on her.

Watching Barba's grey flecked head bob rhythmically back and forth, along the profilers proud and glistening shaft, she fell into her own pace, returning her thoughts to the man in hand. She might not know his body intimately, but she could feel the tension beneath her finger tips building, the subtle changes as her throbbed and thrust into her hand, the tightening in his skin. Her chest was still flush against his back and she could feel the difference in his heartbeat, the shallowness of his breathing, as her hand clenched and unclenched around him, she felt rather than heard him groan against her.

She had wanted to feel the full force and power of arousal, that was the how much more question again. Aaron Hotchner and Rafael Barba clearly had a relationship. For her part, she didn't know the BAU Unit Chief at all, and whilst she knew the ADA well enough, she wasn't sure that knowing stretched as far as having sex with him for the first time in front of a complete stranger.

This was more than voyeurism and it was participation, from the sounds falling from both men, she doubted either was going to be disappointed. As Barba's tight arse brushed against her wet lips, sending another gush of arousal to her very core, she knew she wasn't going to be either, whatever the _how much more was._

Her attention was now firmly back on the ADA, she concentrated her mind and her hand on his thick heavy cock. Replacing her fingertips once more with her palm, curling it not too tightly around his silky flesh and allowing it to slip freely, but erotically through her clasp. Her thumb brushing and squeezing the tip, spreading another pearly bead of moisture along the length, the natural lubricant intensifying her touch. Barba moaned, much more distinctly this time, his head moving determinedly along Aaron Hotchner's shaft, his fingers biting into the flesh at the back of his solid thighs, using them for purchase, increasing his tempo. The older man's fingers wound their way into Barba's wavy hair, a strangled hiss of undiluted pleasure feel from his mouth.

Every synapse in her body was on sensory overload, being assailed with some fragment of pleasure or another.

As his passion rose and he sped headlong towards his climax, Olivia felt him press back harder against her. Burying her face against his neck and his hair, she inhaled deeply, savouring that oh so familiar scent, in such an unfamiliar way, it almost drugged her senses and she gave herself over to the pure sexual pleasure filling the room.

The chain reaction continued and heightened, hurtling towards its eventual climactic ending. As her own arousal built, her chin rested on Barba's shoulder, still on haunches at his back, she was so flush against him they were almost one. Her hand grasped him tighter, loving the feel of him, how he swelled and gushed against her, how he reacted to her touch. As he did, his own passion towards Aaron Hotchner increased, his hands wandering over his thighs, caressing his balls, his mouth sucking and lapping at his cock. The FBI agent thrust back unrestrained and Barba pressed back harder again Olivia. It was a lusciously sensual, never ending circle, but she wanted, needed more, so she moved harder against him, her fingers constricting around his silky wet flesh. Their pleasure increased as did their reactions and so it went on.

It was the older man whose rasping cry filled the room first.

"Urgh Rafael."

It sounded as if was dragged from him. One hand was still buried in Barba's hair, from her position Olivia noticed his fingers tightened into the dark waves, holding him fast. His free hand flew to the base of cock, thrusting forward hard and then withdrawing, almost too far, only Barba's tongue stopping in falling completely from his mouth. As his creamy white seed began to spill from his body he lunged back into his mouth, his pleasure intensified as did the moans which accompanied them.

Olivia and Barba came together.

She heard Aaron Hotchner call Barba's name in an agonised, euphoric plea, the raw sound shoving her perilously close to the edge.

The sight of the stoic, restrained FBI agent falling apart in sexual release, his body tensed in rapture, orgasm ripping through him, didn't push her over the edge, it threw her over, head first and relentlessly.

There wasn't an iota of space between herself and the ADA, but she pushed herself closer, pressing everything against him as hard as she could, from their shoulders, to the tops of their thighs, they were touching in some way. Their flesh was almost glued together, by sweat, by heat and by sticky arousal.

Against her breasts she could feel him swallowing, his mouth now moving languidly against the other man's almost violent release. The missing part of the picture manifested itself graphically in her mind, the feel of Baba colouring it beautifully. That image and the glorious feel of him, compelled her to rub herself more fiercely against him, her eyes flickering shut, it was now all about her other senses.

Her tongue licking the soft skin at his nape, as erotically as if were somewhere far more intimate, the salty sheen of sweat a potent and surprising stimulant. The mingling colognes of the two very different men and the heady scent of pure lust and sex filled her nostrils, her own musky smell and light fragrance, drifting into the intoxicating mix. The sounds of the same lust and sex, groaningly reached her ears, her own feminine cries equally as gratified.

Olivia's hand tightened and slackened around Barba as her own orgasm finally overwhelmed her, tearing through her already over sensitised body, she thrust harder against him. Through her own fog of pleasure, she felt him coming, she felt him come and she felt him keep coming, moaning uncontrollably against Aaron Hotchner's flesh as it remained cocooned in his mouth. Still wrapped around him like a snuggly fitting sweater, Olivia moved with him, riding out wave after wave of cresting wet pleasure that soaked his arse and flowed to every nerve and sinew in her own body.

She stroked him with his own essence, palming the spitting head and slipping it along his pulsating shaft until finally the last thick rope shot from his taut body and she felt him fall back against her, milked, drained and utterly sated, just as they all were.


	6. Revelations

**I was uncertain as to whether to add a final chapter to my little crossover folly. This concluding chapter was written at the time, but I have only just decided to publish it.**

 **I hope those of you that indulged me at the time will enjoy it ...**

"George Foyet" Aaron Hotchner's deep hushed voice, drifted across the room.

Olivia had assumed that both men were sleeping soundly, and not wishing to disturb either of them, and to give them time alone, she had slipped into the bathroom to finish dressing, before quickly and quietly leaving.

Obviously, the FBI agent wasn't sleeping as soundly as the ADA, soft, contented snores emanating from his prone form. Obviously, the FBI agent wasn't sleeping at all.

Not for the first time tonight, this morning as it now was, the SVU detective found her gaze drawn to the impenetrable stare of Aaron Hotchner, it's brown warm depths lit by the unobtrusive night light, which cast a gentle glow across the room. It's muted beam also highlighted the gentle curve of his mouth.

Olivia inclined her head questioningly.

"Earlier you were looking at my scars."

She flushed in the dim light, hoping it didn't show, not that it mattered anyway. He might not be able to see the scarlet hue which coloured her cheeks, but the expert profiler could no doubt read her body language with practised ease.

"A serial killer, who… who, my team and I had been pursuing, attacked me."

For the first time Olivia noticed a note of uncertainty in his deep, quiet voice, feeling he were about to say something else, but changed his mind.

His voice had remained quiet and low so as not to disturb his sleeping companion. Olivia took a small step closer to the reclining man, not sure if he intended to continue of it he was done talking.

"I'm sorry." She said, her tone equally as hushed.

"That I was staring, and for what happened to you." She offered him a gentle sincere smile in return, he nodded in the subdued light.

She hadn't replaced her jacked or completely finished buttoning her blouse, even in this light she saw his gaze drift briefly to where that last button remained open.

"I'm sorry too." He said unexpectedly.

"Neither of us have escaped our jobs unscathed…. mentally or physically."

The small circular scars on Olivia Benson's chest were as faded as his. To those who didn't know, they could have been old chicken pox scares. She had the distinct feeling, Aaron Hotchner knew.

"William Lewis." She said, quietly and firmly.

"My team and I were tracking a serial rapist, he kidnapped me."

Not really knowing why she had confided this, she felt compelled to continue in the same manner as he had done.

Taking another step closer to the bed, Olivia noticed his long legs shift beneath the expensive cotton linen.

Two sets of chocolate brown met once more, the bed dipping under her weight as she perched on the edge. The FBI profiler nodded once more.

"I know." He said simply, confirming what she already suspected.

"It was how Rafael and I met."

This was certainly not something she had expected.

The veteran profiler was not someone Olivia would envisage breaking a confidence, he and Barba must have obviously discussed this at some point, and a lot more besides. Aaron Hotchner responded to her silent question.

"When Rafael was putting together his case against Lewis, he contacted my office for an expert profile on the man. I was going to pass it over to one of my team, but…"

He paused as if choosing his words.

"When I read the case file and some of Rafael's personal notes, I thought I would be best placed to help him with what he needed."

It wasn't often, if ever that Olivia could smile when talking about William Lewis, but Aaron Hotchner's inadvertent, double entendre caused a smile curve to curl her lips. Of course, it didn't go unnoticed, causing him to raise a dark brow as he realised what he had said.

"Maybe in more ways than one." His tone even more hushed so as not to disturb the sleeping man at his side. His hand all the while resting casually on Barba's strong, bare back.

Olivia kept the conversation in the same vein, there was still a somewhat naughty edge to her tone, but also a seriousness she knew the profiler would not miss.

"And what did he need Aaron?"

His gaze didn't waiver and he continued to look fixedly at Olivia. His strong masculine fingers now stroking Barba's rising and falling back as he continued to snore softly, oblivious to the conversation going on.

"Professionally, a comprehensive and detailed profile, one that was unbiased and detached."

As he spoke, although still very quiet his tone was utterly professional, his gaze all the while holding her own.

"A profile that he could just understand as an attorney, there was too much emotion influencing what he was being told by NYPD. He wanted cold hard facts to keep him focused and to put Lewis away for good."

Olivia held his eyes, she understood exactly what he was saying to her, what her friend, the ADA had needed.

"Personally, well that was a lot more complicated, it still is. He didn't come looking for what he found, not any of it, neither did I."

Olivia was quite stunned by his openness and his honesty with her, and with the road this conversation had gone down.

"I could see how much Rafael had invested in the case. As we talked more about it, about Lewis and about the friend he desperately wanted to help, about how she would _really_ be feeling, we got to talking on a far more personal level. I knew to a certain degree, how you would be feeling, I too could speak from very personal experience."

Despite her amazement at his candour, Olivia found herself nodding. She could see from the once very deep wounds that Aaron Hotchner's pain had been a lot more physical than her own, both of their lives had been in imminent danger but in very different ways. She was also shocked at Barba's frankness with this man, she always knew how deeply what had happened to her had affected him, she seen the pain etched in his handsome face, seen the guilt reflected in his beautiful green eyes, but then other than for the trial, they had never spoken of it. A wave of guilt coursed through her.

"You've known Rafael a lot longer than I have."

Aaron Hotchner's low voice broke through her thoughts.

"I would say in some respects you are much closer to him than I."

Olivia shrugged her shoulders, not entirely sure than was true, not after what she had witnessed tonight.

"He knows everything about my encounters with Foyet."

Her eyes were once more held by the BAU Unit Chief, there was no disputing the man was very very good at what he did, what he was trying to say without crossing any boundaries or betraying any confidences.

"I killed him too… brutally with my bare hands…it was payback for every evil thing that he had ever done. Including murdering my wife and threatening to kill my son."

Olivia's breath hitched in her throat, this took honesty and openness to a very different level. She vaguely recalled George Foyet, the Boston Reaper, but she didn't know the extent of the FBI's involvement with the case, and had no idea about Aaron Hotchner's wife or that the veteran agent had killed him, or in such a way. She'd come pretty close to doing the same to William Lewis, she'd thought she had, how he had survived her own brutal _attack_ , she would never know.

"I nearly killed him like that, the first time…."

"I know." He said quickly and quietly interrupting what she had been about to say.

"It's why I told Rafael and why I am telling you." An ironic smile lit his eyes.

"This is a strange conversation to be having right now." The small flicker of a smile danced across his mouth.

"But it answers another of your questions doesn't it Olivia?"

Again, despite the topic of their conversation she could not withhold the smile that lifted her own lips, the man really was just too good.

"It does." She admitted without hesitation, and knowing exactly what he was referring to, continued with her candour.

"I wondered how your paths had crossed initially, and I have to confess I couldn't imagine the man I saw in DC as a lover, let alone Barba's lover."

She saw those brows of his rise again at his at her blunt statement.

"I wondered how on earth you two had ever gotten to this." She gestured the room around her.

"I suppose in some ways we could say it's down to you Olivia."

It was her neatly plucked brows which rose this time, but she couldn't refute his logic, as if she would even try.

"And what about your other question Olivia?"

The SVU Lieutenant was a little confused, yes, she had speculated about his scars, his relationship with her friend but…

"You _wondered_ why I didn't touch you?" He supplied.

"How the hell did you…."

She couldn't constrain her shock, thankfully managing to keep her voice in those hushed tones they had been using.

The low rumble of unexpected and uncharacteristic laughter which emanated from Aaron Hotchner, was as surprising as it was sexy. She'd heard it a couple of times earlier in the evening, but now it sounded so very different, those oh so dark unfathomable eyes of his, practically dancing with amusement. She could almost see Barba reflected in them.

"Why didn't you?" She ventured, trying to keep her own features as impassive as possible.

Not sure if she really wanted to know the answer, but none the less overwhelmed with curiosity.

Barba stirred in his sleep, shifting his position, the man at his side rubbed his head, almost like you would a child, the soft contented sounds of slumber once more filling the room.

"Considering everything that happened this evening, this might seem a strange thing to say, but I didn't think it was my place."

Considering everything that had happened that evening it was a very strange thing to say, but Olivia knew exactly what he meant. With only the briefest mention of what had transpired between them all tonight, Aaron Hotchner had cleverly established trust, trust which went way beyond anything sexual.

She continued her frankness with him, knowing there was little point in being anything else, trying to hide from this man was useless and with his own revelations he had made it virtually impossible.

"It was mine?" She queried, her question almost rhetorical.

The FBI agent nodded. "Tonight, was not a _normal_ situation for any of us, especially considering what we all do by day."

Olivia certainly couldn't argue with that, she'd had the exact same thought herself.

"We were, are, all consenting adults…." He paused.

"But?" She jumped quickly on his hesitation.

"That decision was yours to make, just like the call as to how involved you wanted to be." There was another pause.

"But…however consensual it is, there are always boundaries." His smile was warm and reassuring, saying all the things he didn't.

"I'm glad you decided to join us."

"Me too." Olivia said without any hesitation.

She rose from the bed, fastening the last remaining button and collecting her jacket.

"Would you have liked me too?" Aaron Hotchner asked exceedingly quietly.

Olivia smiled broadly at him, her brown eyes twinkling in the dimness of the room. She had crossed many boundaries of her own tonight, and not just with the sharp FBI profiler and the sleeping ADA.

"You are the expert profiler Agent Hotchner, what do you think?"

He raised a brow at her, a slow, smirk almost, curving his lips and flaring his nostrils.

"Next time Lieutenant Benson, next time."


End file.
